Food platter and food tray with working surface

ABSTRACT

Various platters, food trays, gourmet food presentation devices, etc. are provided. One embodiment comprises a food platter for individual use having an upper surface and a lower surface. One such food platter comprises: at least one food receiving surface disposed on the upper surface for receiving a serving of food; at least one condiment receiving surface disposed on the upper surface for receiving at least one condiment for use with the serving of food; and a working surface disposed on the upper surface for preparing the serving of food with the at least one condiment.

BACKGROUND

Currently, there are various types and configurations of trays, platters, etc. for serving various types of food in a number of different social settings. In general, these devices include one or more surfaces for receiving food. A typical food tray, platter, etc. includes several food receiving surfaces of different sizes, shapes, etc. that are arranged on an upper surface. The food receiving surfaces are typically designed for receiving different amounts and/or types of food. The food receiving surfaces are usually arranged in a predefined manner to conveniently present the food contained in each of the food receiving surfaces.

For example, most frozen dinners are provided in a plastic, microwavable tray that includes various food compartments. One compartment may receive the main dish, another compartment may receive a side dish, and yet another compartment may receive the dessert. Similar types of trays (although usually of a more rigid construction) are used in, for example, cafeterias and airplanes. There are also numerous types of platters that may be conveniently used to present various appetizers, entrees, and the like. These platters are generally used in restaurants, hotels, and in homes to conveniently and aesthetically present the food contained in the food receiving surfaces.

Despite the existence of numerous types, configurations, etc. of food trays, platters and the like, there is still a need in the art for improved devices for these purposes.

SUMMARY

Various platters, food trays, gourmet food presentation devices, etc. are provided.

One embodiment comprises a food platter having an upper surface and a lower surface. One such food platter comprises: at least one food receiving surface disposed on the upper surface for receiving a serving of food; at least one condiment receiving surface disposed on the upper surface for receiving at least one condiment for use with the serving of food; and a working surface disposed on the upper surface for preparing the serving of food with the at least one condiment.

Another embodiment of a food platter comprises: at least one food receiving surface disposed on the upper surface for receiving a serving of food; at least one condiment receiving surface disposed on the upper surface for receiving at least one condiment for use with the serving of food; and a working surface disposed on a lower, central portion of the upper surface.

Yet another embodiment comprises a caviar tray having a top portion and a bottom portion. One such caviar tray comprises: a recessed caviar compartment formed in the upper portion of the caviar tray for receiving a serving of caviar; at least one recessed condiment compartment formed in the upper portion of the caviar tray for receiving a suitable condiment for the serving of caviar; a toast point rack disposed on the upper portion of the caviar tray for receiving at least one toast point; and a working surface disposed on a substantially lower central area of the top portion of the caviar tray for preparing the serving of caviar with one of the at least one condiments and the at least one toast points.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other aspects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention when considered in conjunction with the following drawings.

FIG. 1 is an in-use perspective view of one of a number of embodiments of a food tray.

FIG. 2 illustrates the food tray of FIG. 1 with the condiment covers positioned in their respective recessed areas.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the food tray of FIGS. 1 & 2 illustrating the angled positioning of the upper surface of the food tray.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various platters, food trays, gourmet food presentation devices, caviar trays/platters, etc. are provided. Various embodiments are described below with respect to FIGS. 1-3. As an introductory matter, however, an exemplary embodiment will be briefly described. In general, the exemplary embodiment comprises a food platter having a plurality of food receiving surfaces and a working surface.

The food receiving surfaces are disposed on an upper surface of the food platter. In one embodiment, the food receiving surfaces may be formed in the upper surface as recessed compartments, or the like. The food receiving surfaces, however, need not be integrally formed in the upper surface. The food receiving surfaces may be sized, shaped, configured, etc. for receiving various types of food. In one embodiment, the food platter comprises one main food receiving surface designed for a main portion of food and one or more condiment receiving surfaces for receiving condiments associated with the main food. For example, the main food receiving surface may be sized, shaped, configured, etc. to receive an individual serving of caviar, while the condiment receiving surfaces may be sized, shaped, configured, etc. to receive desirable condiments for the caviar.

Within the real estate of the food platter, the working surface functions as an area on which a person may “work” or interact with the food on the food receiving surfaces (e.g., main food receiving surface, condiment receiving surfaces, etc.). In other words, the person may take portions of food from the food receiving surfaces and place them on the working surface, or otherwise use the working surface to elegantly “combine” the main food with the condiment(s) in a single culinary experience. In this regard, the working surface is advantageously located relative to the food receiving surfaces to facilitate interaction with the food on the food receiving surfaces.

It should be appreciated that the number of food receiving surface(s) may be varied depending on the particular type of food presentation. In one implementation, the food platter is designed with appropriate food receiving surface(s) for an individual food serving (e.g., entrée, side dishes, condiments, etc.) and the working surface to enable a person to prepare, interact with, and/or enjoy the food on/over the working surface. In this regard, the food platter comprises a fully integrated food presentation device for an individual. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that, depending on the particular type of food being presented, the location of the food receiving surfaces and the working surface may be varied. The important aspect is that the working surface is disposed on the food platter relative to the food receiving surfaces to enable the individual to the conveniently prepare the food on/over the working surface.

In one embodiment, the working surface is disposed on the lower, central portion of the upper surface of the food platter (e.g., in a “six o'clock” position on the upper surface of the food platter), and the food receiving surfaces are conveniently disposed around the remaining portions of the upper surface (above and/or to the left/right). In this configuration, the working surface is located nearest to the user when the food platter is centrally placed in front of the user. Thus, the relative locations of the working surface and the food receiving surfaces are designed so that the eating and food preparation action takes place on and/or over the working surface.

In further embodiments, the food receiving surfaces may be recessed in the upper surface. For example, the food receiving surfaces may be configured with a continuous edge that surrounds the food receiving surface. The depth of the continuous edge may be varied depending on the amount of food to be received on the food receiving surface and the area defined by the surface. In this manner, the depth of the continuous edge and the area of the surface dictate the recommended volume of food to be received. In one embodiment, the area defined by the working surface may be relatively larger than the area defined by the main food receiving surface or the condiment receiving surfaces. Due to the larger surface area, the working surface may be configured with a recessed edge having a smaller depth. In some embodiments, portions of the outer surface of the working surface may be configured without a recessed edge, so that at least a portion of the working surface abuts the upper surface of the food platter. It should be appreciated that a working surface with less depth (relative to the upper surface of the food platter) than the food receiving surfaces may enable the person to more easily and elegantly interact with the main food and the condiments.

In alternative embodiments, the food platter may be configured with a slanted upper surface that is non-parallel to the surface on which it rests, and which slants upward from the working surface to the food receiving surfaces. In this configuration, the upper portion of the food platter sits higher relative to the resting surface than the lower portion that contains the working surface. Because the food receiving surfaces are located higher than the working surface, the working surface becomes the focus of the food platter, and the user may more easily interact with the food receiving surfaces to prepare the food over/on the working surface.

Various additional embodiments of food platters, trays, etc. will be described with reference to FIGS. 1-3. In one embodiment, a food platter 100 comprises a working surface 102, a plurality of food receiving surfaces (e.g., a caviar receiving surface 104, a plurality of condiment receiving surfaces 106, a blini receiving surface 110), a toast point rack 108, a blini cover 112, and condiment holders 114 (FIG. 2 illustrates food platter 100 with blini cover 112 and condiment holders 114 positioned in their respective food receiving surfaces). Although food platter 100 is described with reference to an implementation for presenting caviar, it should be appreciated that food platter 100 may be configured for various food presentations.

Thus, in alternative implementations, the caviar-specific components (e.g., caviar receiving surface 104, toast point rack 108, blini receiving surface 110, blini cover 112, etc.) may be eliminated. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that condiment holder(s) 114 may be eliminated, and the condiment receiving surfaces 106 may directly receive the corresponding condiment(s). The embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 also include various ornamental features (e.g., sea shell design) that are not relevant to the utilitarian features of food platter 100.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, food platter 100 comprises an upper surface 302 and a lower surface 304. Working surface 102, caviar receiving surface 104, condiment receiving surfaces 106, toast point rack 108, and blini receiving surface 110 are disposed on upper surface 302. Surfaces 102, 104, 106, and 110 may be formed as recessed compartments in upper surface 302, which have complementary edges 116, 118, 120, and 122, respectively. The depths of the edges may be varied to accommodate any volume based on the area of the surface. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and described above, working surface 102 may be configured with a relatively larger surface area to enable a person to conveniently interact with the food in the receiving surfaces (e.g., caviar, condiments, toast points, blinis, etc.). Furthermore, working space 102 may be configured with a discontinuous edge, so that a portion of working space 102 abuts upper surface 302.

Food platter 100 may include additional features to facilitate the process of the person interacting with the food in the food receiving surfaces. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, upper surface 302 may slant upwardly from working surface 102 to the outer edges of food platter. In this manner, the food receiving surfaces are positioned higher relative to the resting surface (e.g., table) than the lower portion that contains working surface 102. Because the food receiving surfaces are located higher than working surface 102, the working surface becomes the focus of the food platter, and the person may more easily interact with the food receiving surfaces to prepare the food over/on working surface 102. The slanted arrangement of upper surface 302 may be implemented in various ways. For example, upper surface 302 and lower surface 304 may be substantially parallel in nature, with the slanted arrangement provided by protrusions (e.g., legs) of differing lengths that extend from lower surface 304. In additional embodiments, the body of food platter 100 may taper upward from the lower portion to the upper portion—with upper surface 302 being non-parallel to lower surface 304. As further illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, in some embodiments, upper surface 302 may project upward and away from working surface 102 in a symmetrically curved fashion to further emphasize the focus of working surface 102.

Working surface 102 is located on the lower, central portion of upper surface 302 (e.g., in a “six o'clock”). The food receiving surfaces (e.g., caviar receiving surface 104, condiment receiving surfaces 106, blini receiving surface 110), and toast point rack 108 are situated around working surface 102. For example, blini receiving surface 110 may be located above and to the right of working surface 102 in a 4/5 o'clock position. Toast point rack 108 may be located above and to the left of working surface 102. Toast point rack 108 may be connected to upper surface 302 in any convenient manner. In one embodiment, toast point rack 108 comprises a pair of parallel support members 124 that are attached to upper surface 302, and a plurality of C-shaped members 126 (arranged parallel to each other) and attached at their ends to support members 124.

Caviar receiving surface 104 and condiment receiving surface(s) 106 may be located between toast point rack 108 and blini receiving surface 110, and above working surface 102 (e.g., at a 10/11 o'clock position and a 1/2 o'clock position, respectively). It should be appreciated that the relative positioning of the food receiving surfaces may be varied in any desirable manner. In this embodiment, the important aspect is the positioning of the food receiving surfaces relative to working surface 102.

Although this disclosure describes the invention in terms of exemplary embodiments, the invention is not limited to those embodiments. Rather, a person skilled in the art will construe the appended claims broadly, to include other variants and embodiments of the invention, which those skilled in the art may make or use without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention. For example, the food platters/trays may be manufactured from any suitable material (e.g., metals, plastics, etc.) and using any suitable methods (e.g., extrusion, injection molding, die cast, etc.). Furthermore, various components of the food platters/trays may be separately formed and attached using suitable methods. 

1. A caviar tray having a top portion and a bottom portion, the caviar tray comprising: a recessed caviar compartment formed in the upper portion of the caviar tray for receiving a serving of caviar; at least one recessed condiment compartment formed in the upper portion of the caviar tray for receiving a suitable condiment for the serving of caviar; a toast point rack disposed on the upper portion of the caviar tray for receiving at least one toast point; and a working surface disposed on a substantially lower central area of the top portion of the caviar tray for preparing the serving of caviar with one of the at least one condiments and the at least one toast points.
 2. The caviar tray of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the caviar tray extends upward and away from the working surface.
 3. The caviar tray of claim 1, wherein the working surface is located at a six o'clock position on the upper surface of the caviar tray and the recessed caviar compartment, the at least one recessed condiment compartment and the toast point rack are situated above at least a portion of the working surface.
 4. A food platter having an upper surface and a lower surface, the food platter comprising: at least one food receiving surface disposed on the upper surface for receiving a serving of food; at least one condiment receiving surface disposed on the upper surface for receiving at least one condiment for use with the serving of food; and a working surface disposed on a lower, central portion of the upper surface.
 5. The food platter of claim 4, wherein the upper surface extends upward and away from the working surface.
 6. The food platter of claim 4, wherein the at least one food receiving surface and the at least one condiment receiving surface forms a corresponding recessed compartment defined by a continuous edge.
 7. The food platter of claim 4, wherein the working surface is located at a six o'clock position on the upper surface.
 8. The food platter of claim 4, wherein the working surface is located at a six o'clock position on the upper surface and the at least one food receiving surface and the at least one condiment receiving surface are located above at least a portion of the working surface.
 9. The food platter of claim 4, wherein the working surface is located at a six o'clock position on the upper surface and the at least one food receiving surface and the at least one condiment receiving surface are located above at least a portion of the working surface on the upper surface.
 10. The food platter of claim 4, wherein the upper surface is slanted relative to a support surface on which the food platter rests so that the working surface is closer to the support surface than the at least one food receiving surface and the at least one condiment receiving surface.
 11. An individual food platter having an upper surface and a lower surface, the food platter comprising: at least one food receiving surface disposed on the upper surface for receiving a serving of food; at least one condiment receiving surface disposed on the upper surface for receiving at least one condiment for use with the serving of food; and a working surface disposed on the upper surface for preparing the serving of food with the at least one condiment. 